Moving up the table as far as they can, while playing champaign football, is Cavin Johnson's typically purist objective for Platinum Stars as they face the coach's old side, SuperSport United, in the Absa Premiership at Royal Bafokeng Stadium tonight.
The match starts at 7.30pm.
Johnson's second game back at Stars, who he guided to a PSL runners-up spot in 2012-2013 season, was a cracking 3-3 draw against Orlando Pirates last week.
Tonight Johnson meets the side he left Stars to join at the start of 2013-2014 campaign with much promise.
The coach, though, struggled to adapt at United, being replaced by Gordon Igesund in September.
"It's a look and build for next season. A look at who you can send up [from the youth]. But the main objective is that the next six games are all cup finals," Johnson said yesterday.
Johnson had a handful of training sessions before the game against Pirates.
"We only had about six hours' training," he said. "But credit should go to the players. They are fit, but for me they are not football-fit. It was two silly mistakes we made, and that's where [a lack of] football fitness can cost you."
In his previous stint at Dikwena, Johnson was adept at utilising their superb training facility at Royal Marang Hotel, which the coach said makes up for the team not having the biggest player budget.
"Platinum Stars is somewhere I never burnt my bridges and somewhere I felt you might not get the golden egg, but you have the golden facility. I don't think there is another club in the country with these facilities, or [who] own their own stadium.
"At SuperSport I learnt a lot. You learnt more than you would if you hadn't gone. The grass is always greener on the other side, but there are also more sharks there. [But] I'm thankful to SuperSport for the opportunity."
United have already won silverware under renowned trophy winner Igesund and have followed their Telkom Knockout victory with a semifinal place in the season-ending Nedbank Cup.
"I'm trying to get this team prepared for next season, and really want to put a challenge in to try to win a championship then," Igesund said after Saturday's win over Lamontville Golden Arrows.
Cavin could haunt United
Moving up the table as far as they can, while playing champaign football, is Cavin Johnson's typically purist objective for Platinum Stars as they face the coach's old side, SuperSport United, in the Absa Premiership at Royal Bafokeng Stadium tonight.
The match starts at 7.30pm.
Johnson's second game back at Stars, who he guided to a PSL runners-up spot in 2012-2013 season, was a cracking 3-3 draw against Orlando Pirates last week.
Tonight Johnson meets the side he left Stars to join at the start of 2013-2014 campaign with much promise.
The coach, though, struggled to adapt at United, being replaced by Gordon Igesund in September.
"It's a look and build for next season. A look at who you can send up [from the youth]. But the main objective is that the next six games are all cup finals," Johnson said yesterday.
Johnson had a handful of training sessions before the game against Pirates.
"We only had about six hours' training," he said. "But credit should go to the players. They are fit, but for me they are not football-fit. It was two silly mistakes we made, and that's where [a lack of] football fitness can cost you."
In his previous stint at Dikwena, Johnson was adept at utilising their superb training facility at Royal Marang Hotel, which the coach said makes up for the team not having the biggest player budget.
"Platinum Stars is somewhere I never burnt my bridges and somewhere I felt you might not get the golden egg, but you have the golden facility. I don't think there is another club in the country with these facilities, or [who] own their own stadium.
"At SuperSport I learnt a lot. You learnt more than you would if you hadn't gone. The grass is always greener on the other side, but there are also more sharks there. [But] I'm thankful to SuperSport for the opportunity."
United have already won silverware under renowned trophy winner Igesund and have followed their Telkom Knockout victory with a semifinal place in the season-ending Nedbank Cup.
"I'm trying to get this team prepared for next season, and really want to put a challenge in to try to win a championship then," Igesund said after Saturday's win over Lamontville Golden Arrows.
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